New data suggest that GLP-1 medication could reduce metastatic progression in certain cancers, according to findings that will be presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting next week. Metastatic progression is the spread of cancer from its original site to more distant organs or tissues. The research, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal as of this reporting, was conducted by the Cleveland Clinic and led by Dr. Mark Orland, who is affiliated with the Taussig Cancer Institute and will present the findings at the ASCO meeting.
What the Study Found
The study found that GLP-1 drugs seemed to reduce cancer progression in patients who were also diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, when compared to other patients taking DPP-4 inhibitors, Orland told HuffPost. DPP-4 inhibitors, such as Januvia, Onglyza, Tradjenta and Nesina, are oral medications used to treat Type 2 diabetes by helping the body release insulin after meals. Researchers also found that some cancer cells had high levels of GLP-1 receptors, which were associated with a 33% lower risk of death among patients taking the medication, suggesting that GLP-1s could be attacking cancer cells directly. However, the study does not confirm that GLP-1 directly kills any tumor cells, and because the analysis was observational, the results do not fully prove that GLP-1s directly impact progression. GLP-1 drugs are not currently approved for cancer prevention, and should not be taken to try to lower the risk of cancer or to stop it from spreading. The ASCO Post noted that Orland holds consulting or advisory roles with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb/Celgene, Geron and Novartis, and research funding from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, the National Institutes of Health, Novartis and the Swedish Orphan Biovitrum.
Background on GLP-1 Drugs
GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, were initially developed for Type 2 diabetes, but are now commonly associated with weight loss. GLP-1s help lower glucose, reduce appetite and body weight, and lower cardiovascular risks, Meg Barbor, a senior medical journalist, wrote for the ASCO Post. However, some GLP-1s have been approved for health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss: The Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy to reduce the risk of serious heart disease in March 2024 and approved Zepbound to treat moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in December 2024. There have been prior studies that claimed GLP-1s could also reduce the risk of certain cancers, specifically those associated with obesity. Research presented at the 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in January claimed that GLP-1s "may have an added benefit: helping prevent colorectal cancer."
Obesity and Cancer Connection
"Obesity is definitely a risk factor for many cancer types," Dr. Samyukta Mullangi, an oncologist and researcher with Tennessee Oncology and Thyme Care, told HuffPost. "Many of our endocrine therapies for breast and prostate cancer specifically can cause weight gain, which complicates survivorship." This connection between obesity and cancer types is why some researchers have begun investigating whether GLP-1s can help patients.
What Did the Cleveland Clinic's GLP-1 Study Find?
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic compared 12,112 patients with Stage 1 to 3 cancer, with seven obesity-related cancers: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), pancreatic cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. Half of the group took GLP-1 drugs after getting diagnosed, while the other half used DPP-4 inhibitors. To ensure that the separated groups were comparable, the researchers matched patients on certain demographics, including body mass index, smoking history and prior cancer treatments.
The patients taking GLP-1s were "linked to reduced metastatic progression in six of the seven malignancies studied, a pattern the investigators said may suggest a potential class effect," Barbor reported. In every cancer case except for kidney cancer, the patients taking GLP-1s were less likely to see progression. It is not specified how long the patients were taking their respective drugs before the reduction in metastasis was observed by researchers.
There were "statistically significant reductions" observed in patients who had non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, more commonly known as liver cancer. The number of patients in each cancer group varied, Orland told HuffPost, meaning the results for cancers with smaller sample sizes may be less reliable than those for more common cancers, like breast or colorectal. There was no biological reason found why the GLP-1s weren't as effective on prostate or pancreatic cancers.
Among patients diagnosed with NSCLC, 22% taking DPP-4 inhibitors progressed to stage IV, compared with only 10% taking GLP-1s. For breast cancer patients, 20% of DPP-4 patients progressed, compared to 10% of GLP-1 patients. In colorectal cancer, the progression was 22% compared to 13%, respectively, and in liver cancer patients, it was 28% versus 19%.
Cautious Interpretation
But at least one researcher who conducted a similar study in July 2025 urges caution about the comparator the Cleveland Clinic chose. Dr. Jiang Bian, a professor of biostatistics and health data science at Indiana University's School of Medicine, was part of a study in which they compared GLP-1s to DPP-4s and SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of drugs that block the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose back into the bloodstream. "In our study … GLP-1 does help [when compared to DPP-4s], but when comparing to SGLT2, there is no difference," Bian said. However, Bian also notes that their study used Medicare claims data for comparisons rather than a comparison group and lacked access to patients' respective body mass index, unlike the Cleveland Clinic.
The Cleveland Clinic study was intentionally focused solely on DPP-4, Orland said. "We chose DPP-4 more so because it was the least contentious of the group," Orland said, meaning it is less likely than other diabetes drugs to have its own effects on cancer, which could skew the results. More research is necessary before GLP-1s can be dubbed a cancer-saving drug.
Future Research Needed
Studies have found that GLP-1s could make it harder for cancer to grow in the body by affecting blood sugar and insulin levels, reducing internal inflammation, and supporting the body's immune cells, the American Cancer Society said in March. "GLP-1 RAs have never been just glucose-lowering drugs," Dr. Marcin Chwistek, chief of the Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, said at a press conference on Thursday. "Their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties have long suggested broader effects. What's new here is the consistency across tumor types, and data this large and this consistent warrant a prospective randomized trial."
Orland emphasized that at no point will a cancer patient without a Type 2 diabetes or obesity diagnosis be told to try GLP-1s. "We don't have enough research," Orland said. "It's too early to act on it." Orland expects to be involved in future studies to investigate further how GLP-1s interact with specific cancer tumors. More observational data are necessary to conclude whether GLP-1s are the best option, too, and Orland told HuffPost he wants to explore other options, like SGLT2. These findings are the beginning of further research into what GLP-1s could do for some cancer patients, not a conclusion, Orland said. Until then, for the millions of cancer patients who also happen to be taking GLP-1s, the question of whether the drug might be helping them remains unanswered. For now.
